Sample ESA letter, explained line by line

What does a real ESA letter look like?

A real ESA letter is a short, signed statement from a licensed clinician, usually one page, on the clinician's or practice's letterhead. It identifies who wrote it and how to check their license, states that the tenant has a disability related need for an animal, and names the animal. It does not include a diagnosis, a registration number or a photo ID.

The example on this page is fictional and illustrative. Every bracket is a placeholder, it carries no signature, and it is marked as not valid documentation. A letter only has meaning when a licensed clinician writes it after evaluating you, as our how it works page explains.

The parts of an ESA letter, explained

Letterhead and contact details. The top of the letter tells a housing provider who issued it and how to reach them for verification. A working email address or contact route matters more than a polished logo.

License type, number, issuing state and effective date. This is the line landlords care about most. With it, anyone can look up the clinician on the state licensing board's website and confirm the license is active. Our guide on how to verify a clinician's license shows how.

Date. The date shows the letter reflects a current evaluation. Many housing providers prefer documentation from within the past year, and Iowa ties written findings to a 12 month window.

Professional relationship statement. The clinician says they evaluated you and when. In states with relationship rules, such as California for emotional support dogs, the letter should reflect that the required 30 day relationship and clinical evaluation took place.

Disability statement. The letter says you have a condition that meets the legal definition of a disability, without naming the condition. Housing providers may ask for reliable information when a disability is not obvious, but they are not entitled to your diagnosis or medical records.

Need statement. This connects the animal to the disability: the animal helps with one or more symptoms or effects. It is the heart of the letter, and it should read as the clinician's own professional opinion.

Animal covered. The letter names each animal, usually with species and a short description. If you have more than one ESA, each one should be listed.

Request, verification offer and signature. The letter asks the housing provider to allow the animal as a reasonable accommodation, explains how to verify it, and ends with the clinician's signature and license details.

What do landlords look for in an ESA letter?

Housing providers who handle ESA requests regularly check the same few things: the letter is authentic, the clinician is licensed and in good standing, the letter is reasonably current, and it connects your disability to the animal. Since HUD's May 22, 2026 memo, many read letters more carefully, because the memo's appendix describes a boilerplate online letter that failed when follow up questions went unanswered.

Some states add their own checks. Florida says an online registration or certificate alone is not enough. Tennessee excludes documentation from websites whose primary function is selling certificates or registrations. Kentucky lets landlords verify documents independently and excludes providers whose main service is selling letters. Our page for housing providers covers the verification side in full.

Required elements and red flags

Use this table to check any ESA letter example you find online, or a letter you already have.

Can you use an ESA letter template?

Searching for an ESA letter template makes sense when you want to know what to expect. But a template you fill in yourself is not documentation. The letter has meaning only because a licensed professional evaluated you and is willing to stand behind it when a housing provider checks.

Templates cause problems for clinicians too, because a prewritten letter may not fit you or your state's rules. Our clinicians write from their own evaluation, so a letter from Pet ESA Service reads as a professional opinion rather than a form. If you already have a therapist, you can share this page with them as a reference.

State details that may appear on your letter

A few states ask for more than the basics. California requires documentation for an emotional support dog to list the clinician's license number, effective date, jurisdiction and type, and to include a notice that fraudulently claiming a dog is a service dog is a misdemeanor under Penal Code 365.7. Arkansas asks for similar license details for emotional support dogs.

Iowa asks the clinician to certify whether a relationship of at least 30 days existed, whether they knew you beforehand, the issue and expiration dates, and whether a separate fee was paid solely for the finding. Louisiana requires the effective date and the provider's license number and type. Your state page lists what applies where you live.

How to get a real ESA letter

If you need an ESA letter for housing, the path is an evaluation, not a download. Pet ESA Service connects you with a licensed mental health professional licensed in your state. If an emotional support animal is clinically appropriate, you receive a signed PDF letter with every element in the table above, and we help your housing provider verify it at no extra charge.

Start the free assessment to see whether an ESA letter fits your situation. It takes about 5 to 10 minutes, and if the clinician does not approve you, the evaluation fee is refunded in full.